Proposals for five different barrages in the River Severn estuary are being considered as part of plans to develop tidal power in the UK, the Government has said.
A list of 10 projects being examined by the Government's feasibility study into tidal energy in the Severn also includes proposals for tidal lagoons and a scheme which would feature a wave farm and four marinas.
The list of proposals which will be
given further consideration were unveiled by Energy Secretary John Hutton at an event in Cardiff.
A shortlist will be published later in the year for which schemes will be taken forward for more extensive research.
The 10 schemes include the well-studied 10-mile Cardiff-Weston barrage plan, which could generate up to 5% of the UK's electricity, and the shorter Shoots barrage further up the estuary.
The list also includes an even larger "Outer Barrage" from Minehead in Somerset to Aberthaw and the Beachley barrage which would be further upstream and have a smaller operating capacity than the Shoots barrage.
Other proposals being considered include a tidal fence scheme which would have a barrier with open sections and involve tidal stream turbines to capture energy as tide ebbs and flows.
A "reef" proposal which would include floating turbines to harness energy is also on the list.
Mr Hutton said: "Harnessing the power of the Severn estuary could be an engineering project of breathtaking scale and we will look at the full range of technologies and locations."
But proposals for a barrage across the estuary have attracted controversy, with wildlife groups concerned about the impact it could have on the rich ecosystems in the area, which is home to thousands of over-wintering birds.
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